


Explore

by Burgie



Category: Star Stable Online
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-23
Updated: 2016-08-23
Packaged: 2018-08-10 14:05:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,281
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7848007
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Burgie/pseuds/Burgie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Louisa goes exploring with her best friend.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Explore

Louisa waited for her friend Maggie to do something on her jPhone. She looked up the hill, wondering about Herman, and then turned around to see if her friend was coming. She was just in time to see Maggie trot up the hill on her white Thoroughbred.

“Are you ready?” asked Louisa.

“Yep,” said Maggie. “Lead the way.”

“Okay,” said Louisa, hoping that she wouldn’t get her friend lost. She set off at a gallop anyway, though, and ran right off the path. Somehow, though, both she and Starkiss were okay. She shared a laugh with Maggie, and then the two set off down the path at a somewhat slower pace.

“Are you sure you know where you’re going?” asked Maggie as the two ended up back at the top of The Cauldron on the other side.

“No,” said Louisa, and laughed. Maggie laughed with her. “I’ll try again.”

This time, Louisa saw the almost hidden path that they had to take down to the bottom of The Cauldron and took it. Maggie followed her, and Louisa wondered if she’d say anything about the random Roman pillars dotting the path. She didn’t, but that was okay.

Eventually, the two friends reached the mistier bottom and Louisa rode over to the cave at a walk.

“I found this a few days ago,” said Louisa, moving some ferns aside to reveal the strange flat rock blocking the cave. It had strange designs etched into it that looked like spider webs, and one that looked like a spider down near the bottom. At least, Louisa really hoped that it was just a design. Starkiss shied away from it anyway, and Louisa had to soothe him with gentle words and claming thoughts. When she looked back at the cave, the spider was gone. Louisa shuddered and moved a little further away from the cave, resisting the urge to brush at her clothing and hair.

“Cool,” said Maggie. She started poking around the cave, probably looking for a way in.

“I don’t think you can open it,” said Louisa. “You probably have to do something very important to-“ She stopped speaking when Maggie finally managed to pull the large stone away a little.

“Come on, give me a hand,” said Maggie.

“I really don’t want to,” said Louisa. Starkiss shied away from the cave, sensing his rider’s fear.

“Come on, please?” said Maggie.

“Oh, alright,” said Louisa. She really didn’t want to upset her friend, even if she had to be uncomfortable to make her happy. So she dismounted and walked over to where Maggie had managed to move the covering a little.

“Thanks,” said Maggie. Together, and with much grunting and straining, the two were able to move the stone enough for them to slip inside.

“I’d feel safer if I was on my horse,” said Louisa.

“They won’t fit in here,” said Maggie. Louisa could see the truth in that when she sent magic into the crystal that she still carried around. She shone the Light of Aideen around while Maggie did the same with her phone.

“Okay then,” said Louisa. “Starkiss, be good. I’ll be back.”

 _“I’ll be waiting when you come running back screaming,”_ said Starkiss through their special Soul Rider bond. Louisa smiled, though she knew that her horse was right.

Louisa trembled as the two girls moved into the cave, though Maggie was a lot braver than her and walked steadily. Louisa had to admit that she felt a little safer with her friend around. Though it still didn’t change the fact that they were in what was quite possibly a spider-infested cave.

Fortunately, a distraction soon came in the form of strange drawings and writing on the walls of the cave. It was in no language that Louisa could understand, but she definitely recognised the runes. The pictures weren’t exactly promising, though- huge spiders climbing out of a volcano and running after terrified people while a village burned. She shone the Light a little further along the wall, trying to see if there were any other pictures that could tell her more.

“This place is creepy,” said Maggie, startling Louisa into yelping and stumbling back against the cave wall. She touched something distinctly cobwebby and screamed, much to Maggie’s amusement.

“Yes it is,” said Louisa, feeling her heart pounding. She’d dropped the crystal in her palm in her fright but then dried her sweaty palm on her jumper and picked up the crystal again.

“Come on, let’s go in a little further,” said Maggie.

“No, I want to leave,” said Louisa. She didn’t want to cry in front of her friend, but she was going to if she got any more frightened.

“Come on, please?” said Maggie. “Just a little further and then we can go back.”

“Okay,” said Louisa. If she was going to be the ssaviour of this island and the world, she had to face her fears. Though she had the feeling that she wasn’t the only Soul Rider who would run screaming at the sight of a spider. So, though she still shook and her heart pounded, Louisa followed Maggie deeper into the cave.

The farther they went, the more webs appeared on the walls. Soon, Louisa had to duck to avoid getting sticky cobwebs on her face. Maggie was brushing cobwebs out of her hair and off of her arms, too.

“Maybe we should turn back,” said Maggie after a while. “My phone light is getting dimmer.”

“Oh, thank goodness,” said Louisa. “Let’s go.”

“Wait, no it’s not, it’s brighter again now. What’s…” Maggie looked up. “Uh oh.”

The two girls ran out of the cave, Louisa screaming enough for both of them. The giant spider that they’d disturbed chased after them, its eight legs making a lot more noise than expected. Starkiss was waiting, as promised, and stayed still long enough for his terrified rider to scramble onto his back.

And then they were off, galloping up the narrow, winding path to the top of The Cauldron. Starkiss was faster than Maggie’s steed anyway, but a frightened horse could gallop much faster than usual. It was only her horse’s quick thinking that prevented Louisa from smashing into a tree.

Louisa had stopped screaming by the time they reached the top of The Cauldron. Her throat was sore, though, and her heart was still pounding. Maggie laughed until she looked at her friend.

“Hey, are you okay?” asked Maggie.

“No,” said Louisa, wiping at her eyes. So she had ended up crying in front of her friend and completely freaked out, but Maggie didn’t judge her for it.

“Sorry I made you go in there,” said Maggie. “I feel bad now.”

“No, it’s okay,” said Louisa. “You didn’t make me go in there.” She shuddered and started towards the road near Stormgarden.

“Hey,” said Maggie, reaching into her pocket. “You dropped this.” She handed the shining crystal to Louisa, and Louisa paled as she realised that she’d dropped it. Maybe using it as a torch hadn’t been the best idea.

“Thanks,” said Louisa, and made the Light stop shining before she put it back in her saddlebag. She sniffled.

“I still feel bad for upsetting you,” said Maggie as they rode back down the road together.

“Maybe we could do something else instead,” said Louisa. “Like going to the Sunfield farm and patting the fluffy kitties.”

“Whatever you want to do,” said Maggie, and smiled at her. Louisa smiled back at her.

At the Sunfield farm, Maggie hugged her friend after dismounting, and Louisa felt calmed by the gesture. She felt even better when they were sitting on the purple blanket petting fluffy kitties.


End file.
